A public hearing is scheduled that will see Edmonton city council consider whether get rid of its rules requiring a 500 metre distance between liquor stores. A file photo shows some of the beverages on offer at a local independent liquor store.Shaughn Butts / Postmedia

A plan to ditch liquor store separation distances in two core neighbourhoods was tossed on the slush pile by city council’s executive committee on Tuesday.

Administration began poking around the possibility of removing the bylaw stipulation that liquor stores must be 500 metres apart at the direction of city council in 2017, after the Katz Group’s request to open a liquor store was rejected because of another seller in the vicinity.

A variance for separation distances in the Ice District was approved by council at a public hearing last December, and committee was contemplating doing the same thing for parts of downtown and Oliver.

Ward 6 Coun. Scott McKeen said the hope was that loosening the rules for the densely populated neighbourhoods might encourage more boutique alcohol sales, like deVine Wines and Spirits — and put pressure on problematic stores that sell to intoxicated, vulnerable people and create unsafe environments.

“What we want is the lowest common denominator liquor stores to be put out of business,” McKeen said.

The proposal was supported by Alcanna Inc., the largest alcohol retailer in Edmonton, but faced push-back from other members of council and from the public.

Ward 4 Coun. Aaron Paquette argued that there must be better mechanisms than the free market for targeting problematic retailers.

”I’ve never heard it posited that if you have a problem with alcohol in a community, pour more alcohol on it,” Paquette said.

Alberta Liquor Store Association President Ivonne Martinez speaks to reporters at city hall on March 5, 2019.Paige Parsons

Alberta Liquor Store Association president Ivonne Martinez said the separation distances were instigated by her association back in 2007, as part of being a responsible industry.

“We don’t believe that just getting rid of the distance bylaw is going to solve the issue. I think if anything, it’s going to make it worse,” she said.

Committee also heard opposition to the move from a pastor who does community outreach with vulnerable populations from his Oliver church, and from the owner of a Jasper Avenue dermatology clinic who said he has safety concerns after experiencing multiple alcohol-related social disorder incidents in his business.

After hours of discussion, McKeen said he had a change of heart about the market’s ability to control less desirable stores from opening up and made a motion passed by committee asking administration to take a broader look at the zoning bylaw and possible enforcement for liquor stores. That report isn’t expected to come back until 2022.

“There’s not going to be anything imminent on this again,” said McKeen. “There’s no chanting crowds outside saying ‘reduce’ or ‘increase’ the separation distances. We were trying to get at a problem by using really awkward tools.”